Machine for folding strip into tubes or sections



y 24, 1951 J. B. PICTON 2,561,634

MACHINE FOR FOLDING STRIPS INTO TUBES OR SECTIONS Filed Feb. 25, 1948 4Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOQ.

J. B. PICTON July 24, 1951 MACHINE FOR FOLDING STRIPS INTO TUBES 0RSECTIONS Filed Feb. 25'. 1948- r 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I L 450 ATTI- July 24,1951 MACHINE FOR FOLDING STRIPS INTO TUBES OR SECTIONS Filed Feb. 25,1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IO 19' I63 INVENTOR J. PICTON 2,561,634

Patented July 24, 1 951 a j [I intensetoetommesmmmo TUBES R C'lE QN JohnBurley Pic'tnn, Wolverhampton, England,

- assignor'to Joshua *Big v Wolverhampton, England wood & Son, Limited,

" applicants netruarizs, 194s,seria1 No. 10,638

"This invention relates to machines-of the-kind wherein a length ofstrip, usually metal, is moved endwise and acted uponat spaced positionsalong in pairs, which rolls"fold"the-strip as itpasses through themachine in a series of successive steps into the required tubularformjor into the required sectional shape; Ill "SllCh machines thecross-sectional shape ofthe strip at various positions alongitslengthvaries from the original section, which is usually fiat,through a series of partly folded sections, to the final section,"-whichmaybe that of a circular-tube.

"Theobject of the present invention is to provide an improvedconstruction;

*Aecording to the present invention the machine comprises a bed uponwhich are mounted a pluslengtn by a numberof'rolis; usually arrangedra-l'ity of units each" incorporating one or more driven folding rollsfor acting uponthe strip 'to effect the necessary guiding means on thebed; and being movable along such guiding means sothat their "spacingcan be adjusted, means being provided for retaining them in any desiredadjusted-position.

The machine may incorporate a arranged parallelto thero'w of foldingunitsand folding thereof, theunits be ing "disposed in alignment andengaging unit driving shaft each such unit may incorporate-a fixedhousing containing transmission gear for transmitting the drive from agear element driven by and adjustabl'e along the the folding rolls.

The driving shaft may be -'supp'orted"by bearings, one adjacent toieachgear element," and these hearings may slide spacing of the folding unitscan "be effected.

"Each unit may comprise a base havinga tl'ixed housing containing meansfor the shafts for -the pair oTTollsj 'and supporting one end ofapair ofroll shaitsi 'this base being slidable on the the guide being parallelto the pass, each unit base having a guide which is at right anglestothe pass, and mounted on this guide is a loose bearing *for theothen-ends 'of the roll; shafts, the arrangement being such'tliattheloose bearings are adjustable parallel to the roll shafts softhat thespan between the roll shaftbearings can be adjusted tosuit the loadontheshaft andthe l'en'gth o'f'therolls.

"The roll shafts 'of the oneabove another, vnd

away from the other.

driving shaft to "the shafts of on a bearing "guide on the bed-ofthe-machine so'that adjustment in the "units may be arranged one ofthese 'rollsh-afts is preferably capable offbeing adjusted towards andthe driving transmission uide "on 'theTbed and In: Great BritainFebruary 26, 1947 -3I3laims. (Cl. 153-54) Referring to the drawings:Figure 1 is a view inside elevation; Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is 2:and

"Figure '4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure'2.

In the construction shown inthe drawings the Ina-chine comprises a bed10, which is of hollow box-like form, and on the top of this bed thesurface is provided with two guide ribs II and I2 which are parallel toeach other. These guides are formed by upwardly-projectingrectangularseetionribs on the surface of the bed top.

Mounted on the guide I! are a number of, say six, units 1-3, three ofwhich can be seen in Fig-- ures 1 and 2, each unit being adjustablealong the guide and being secured to a base plate 15 having longitudinalslots 14 through which ex tend "upwardly-projecting studs 15 on the bedt8,

so that theplates 16 can be individually adjusted along the bed to allowthe spacing of the units to be adjusted, and the plates l6 can be lockedto database by the studs 15 in the required positions and at the desiredspacing.

Each of the units 13 includes a fixed housing H providing bearings forupper and lower roll shafts, and a loose housing 18 also providingbearings 'for upper and lower roll shafts.

Each of the plates 16 is provided with an up weirdly-projecting rib ison its upper surface, and the members I! and I8 are located on the rib19.

The member 1 'l may be suitably secured by bolts or other fastenings tothe plate I 6, and the plates F6 "are provided with slots '20 which areparallel to the rib 19 for receiving fastenings 2| by which each loosehousing i8 is secured to the plate 1'6,

the arrangement being such that the loose hous ing can be adjustedtowards and away from the fixedhousing I 1 and then secured in anydesired adjusted position.

Each er the fixed housings I 1 .is of hollow box like form and comprisesa front wall 22 and a rear wall 23. Bearing .housings 24 and "25 areformed in the walls 22 and 23, these housings containing bearings 26 and21 in which thelower roll shaft 28 can rotate.

At a higher level the .front wall 22 has formed on its rear surfacevertical "guides 29 within whic'hcan slide an upper bearing housing 30ontaining bearings 3| 32 in which the upper roll shaft '33 is mountedfor rotation. The guides 29 are vertical, and they are connected to theside paftsoi the side walls "are shown at 36, "31.

a section on the line 3-3 of Figure by webs 34, '35. The lower it Eachbearing housing 38 i provided with two portions 38 which engage theedges of the guides 29. Each of the bearing housings 3|] can be raisedand lowered by a screwed stem 48 engaging a sleeve nut 4!, which ismounted in the top plate 42 of the housing, the sleeve nut 4| beingprovided with a head .43 which can be turned by hand" and locked by anut 44. The stem i provided with a circumferential groove 45 engaged bya plate 46 on the upper side of the bearing housing 30, and below theplate 45 in a recess in the top of the bearing housing is a head 41 onthe stem 40. With this arrangement when the sleeve ings 14, mounted inthe bearing housings 15 in s the housing.

nut M is turned by turning the head 43 the bearing housing 30 is raisedor lowered.

The loose housing 18 is also provided with a lower bearing 48 which doesnot move and an upper bearing 49 which can be raised and lowered bymeans (shown in Figure 3) which are exactly.

similar to the means shown for raisin and lowering the bearing housing30. I v With the arrangement described the upper roll shaft 33 can beraised when required, and the distance between therolls can be alteredtosuit the work, which is indicated at 58. Further, the loose housing 18can be adjusted towards. or away from the fixed housing i1 so thatdifferent lengths of roll may be accommodated. I I I Returning to thefixed housing 11, the upper rear part of the housing is formed by acover 5| secured to the rear wall 23 and to the top plate 42. The frontpart of the fixed housing I1 is provided with a removable cover 52 Boththe roll shafts are positively driven and they are geared together bymean which remain in effective driving engagement whatever may be theposition of the upper roll shaft. I

. The housing ll provides a bearing in its wall 22. for a shaft, the endof whichcan be seen. at 53, and mounted on this shaft 53 is a pair oflinks 54 which are pivoted at 55 to another pair of links 56 pivotallymounted on the end of the upper roll shaft 33. 1. A- gearwheel 51 iprovidedon the lower roll shaft 28, and this gearwheelil gears witha-gearwheel 58 on the shaft 53. The-gearwheel 58 engages with agearwheel 59 on the pivot pin .55,- andthe gearwheel 58 engages with agearwheel 68 on the upper roll shaft ,33. i If the upper roll shaft 33is raised or lowered by raising or lowering the gearing housings 38, 49,then the links 56, and 54 can oscillate to permit of. the requiredmovement of the bearing housings without interrupting the drive. It willbe seen that the roll shafts 28 and Stare driven in opposite directionsand at the same speed.

An upper roll is indicated at BI and alower roll at 62., These rollshave portions which are shaped to bend the work .58 into channel sec.-tion. Rolls of different peripheral forms will be provided on the rollshafts of successive units, and the rolls may be shaped so a to converta flat strip gradually in .aseries' of steps into any required section.In one arrangement the rolls may convert a flat strip by a series ofsteps into acircular-section tube, v 7

Motion is imparted to 'the lower roll shaft28.

from a driving shaft 83 driven through a clutch 64 from a pulley65'coup1ed by beltsflorfthe like to a pulley 66 on .the driving shaft 61of a power unit 68, such as an electric motor. i

The driving shaft 63 is arrangedparaHel to the row of units, andatintervals it is provided with bearings 69 and with driving gearwheels18.

Each of the bearings GQ is formed on a bracket The wall 31 of the housinis formed to provide a pocket 16 for the gearwheel 12 so that thegearwheel is disposed within the boundary of the sides of the housing.With this arrangement the ousings can be adjusted parallel to the workpart to provide the minimum spacing between successive pairs of rolls.

Means are preferably provided for releasably securing the brackets 1! inany adjusted position.

The which engages with a worm wheel 18 on the lower. roll shaft 28 sothatthe latter is driven through the worm gearing and through the gears12 from the driving shaft 63. y

Each of the units may be provided with a work.- supporting bracket i 9for supporting the work between the pairs of rollers. Each of thesebracketsmay be supported upon legs 88 secured.

to the plate l6. I I The end of the driving shaft 63 is supported in abearing 8|, which may either be fixed or slidably mounted on the rib II.II Y The unit 82 at the end of the row may be of specialconstruction inwhich the screws 48 for raising and lowering the bearing housings 30'and49 are simultaneously operable by turning a hand wheel 83 on a shaft 84at the top of the loose housing, this shaft 84 being coupled by wormgearings to the sleeve 4|, and further the shaft 84 may be connected bya detachable coupling 85 to a shaft 86 which drives the worm gearingsat.

the top of the stationary housin for driving the sleeve-4| therein. a

Further, the lower bearings 26 and 48 in this construction may bemounted .in bearing housings 81, which are similar to the bearinghousings 38 and can be raised and lowered in the.

guides 29, these bearing housingsbeing operated by turning a hand wheel88 on a shaft 89 mounted in brackets 98 and operating, through wormgearing, threaded sleeves 9i upon fixed screws 92 so that the lower rollshaft 28 may be raised and lowered. The shaft 89 may incorporate adetachable coupling permitting the loose housing l8 to be moved towardsor away from the fixed housing [1. I

The invention thusprovides a means whereby the spacing betweenindividual forming units,

each incorporating a pair of driven rolls, canbe adjusted to suitdifferentthicknesses, dimensions and qualities vof metal so as to ensurethat the metal is not overstressed between any two.

folding operations, and to ensure that the stretching of. the edge ofthe metal is kept down to .the.

minimum. Further, the ability to adjust the folding units towards andaway from one another permits of the insertion of power-driven guiderolls, which may be on axes which are transverse to the axes of theforming rolls. Such guide rolls can.

be. inserted between the folding units when desired' Further, theimproved construction perworm shaft 13 is provided with a worm ll mitsany individual folding units to be removed without interrupting thedrive to the others, and such units can be replaced on the guideprovided on the bed in the minimum of settingup time.

Further, the loose bearing housings, one on each folding unit, permitsof the span between the bearings of the roll shafts to be adjusted tosuit the load and the particular roll used. Such loose bearing housingscan be adjusted and fixed with the minimum of difficulty.

Further, the driving shaft of the machine is adequately supported inbearings, one adjacent each folding unit, and these bearings can beadjusted along the guide on the bed and in no way interfere with thecorrect and variable spacing of the gear elements which drive the unit.

What I claim then is:

1. A machine for folding strip into tubes or sections comprising amachine bed, a primary guide on said bed, a plurality of strip foldingunits mounted in alignment on said bed, each of said units engaging saidprimary guide, said units being movable on said primary guide, means forlocking said units to the bed in any selected adjusted position, eachunit comprising a housing containing transmission gear for driving theshafts of a pair of folding rolls, said transmission gear including ashaft projecting through a side wall of the housing, a gearwheel on saidprojecting part of said shaft, a bearing guide on said bed, said primaryand bearing guides being parallel, a driving shaft arranged parallel tothe row of units bearings for said driving shaft fixed on the machinebed, and brackets slidably mounted on said bearing guide, said bracketseach having a bearing for the driving shaft and carrying a gear elementdriven by said driving shaft, each of said gearwheels being engaged anddriven by one of the gear elements on said driving shaft.

2. A machine for folding strip into tubes or sections comprising amachine bed, a primary guide on said bed, a plurality of base platesmovably mounted in alignment on said bed, each of said base platesengaging said primary guide, locking means engaging each of said baseplates and the bed for locking said base plates to the bed in variouspositions whereby the spacing of said base plates can be adjusted, astrip folding unit on each of said base plates, each unit comprising ahousing containing transmission gear for driving the shafts of a pair offolding rolls, said transmission gear including a shaft projectingthrough a side wall of the housing, a

gearwheel on said projecting part of said shaft, a bearing guide on saidbed, said primary and bearing guides being parallel, a driving shaftarranged parallel to the row of units bearings for said driving shaftfixed on the machine bed, andbrackets slidably mounted on said bearingguide, said brackets each having a bearing for the driving shaft andcarrying a gear element driven by said driving shaft, each of saidgearwheels being engaged and driven by one of the ear elements on saiddriving shaft.

3. A machine for folding strip into tubes or sections comprising amachine bed, a primary guide on said bed, a plurality of base platesmovably mounted in alignment on said bed, each of said base platesengaging said primary guide, locking means engaging each of said baseplates and the bed for locking said base plates to the bed in variouspositions whereby the spacing of said base plates can be adjusted, astrip folding unit on each of said base plates, each unit comprising afixed housing containing transmission gear for driving the shafts of apair of rolls, and a loose housing, a secondary guide on said base platedisposed at right angles to said primary guide, guide means on saidloose housing engaging said secondary guide and means for locking saidloose housing to said plate in various positions thereon, whereby thespacing of said housings can be adjusted to accommodate roll shafts ofvarying lengths, a shaft protruding through the side Wall of said fixedhousing and drivingly connected with said transmission gear, a gearwheel on said projecting part of said shaft, a bearing guide on themachine bed, the primary and bearing guides being parallel, a drivingshaft arranged parallel to the row of units, bearings for said drivingshaft fixed on the machine bed and brackets slidably mounted on saidbearing guide, said brackets each having a bearing for the driving shaftand carrying a gear element driven by said driving shaft, each of saidgear wheels being engaged and driven by one of the gear elements on saiddriving shaft.

JOHN BURLEY PICTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kane July 8,, 1941

